Spring 2012 - Tudor Place

TUDOR PLACE
Times
SPRING 2012
2
The Rambler
Returns to Tudor Placce
3
Letter from the
Executive Director
4
The Peters’ Pianoforte
Brought to Life
7
Calendar of Events
Secrets Revealed Before A New Temple
Portico Roof Was Installed
W
hile the house’s main entrance
anchors the north side, the south
facade’s Temple Portico is possibly its most memorable feature.
This spring, a project was undertaken to address a nagging question and a vexing problem of
longstanding. What type of roof material
was first used on the Temple Portico
dome? Wood or metal? How do we
resolve a moisture infiltration problem
into the southeast bedroom wall? After
many attempts to fix the problem, it was
determined that a replacement of the tin
roof and metal flashing was in order.
Architect William Thornton made the
Temple Portico the centerpiece of Tudor
Place but left construction details to be
worked out by the craftsmen who built it.
Because the craftsmen left no records, this
conservation project was a chance to see
how they made the sketched dome a physical reality.
Any project removing historic fabric
requires detailed notes on all that came
before — materials, design and construction — for future reference and interpretation. Measured
drawings were
made and photographs taken of
the old tin roof ’s
seams and other
construction particulars. As the
project progressed, material
samples were
gathered for the
architectural fragment collection.
When the
metal roof was
1
removed in February by Wagner Roofing,
the wood sheathing below appeared relatively intact and displayed clear evidence
of nail patterns from a still earlier roof.
Through the patterns of nail holes, the
roof ’s story emerged. The nail pattern creates eight-inch-high rectangles of widths
between six and 12 inches; half the size of
the metal pans removed in 2012. The
exposed wood sheathing was found to
have some wood that crumbled at the
touch while other sections were sound.
Most exciting from a historical standpoint, almost all of the wood appeared to
date to 1814-1816, the construction
period of the house’s center block. There
is a high level of craftsmanship employed
in the dome’s construction, including
hand-cut, curved wood sheathing and
massive rafters that taper in depth as they
near the dome’s top.
When it came to further narrowing
dates, nails provided the best clues. Oneinch machine-cut nails were used to
secure the tin plates. Three-inch machinecut nails were used to attach later replacement sheathing near the top of the dome.
The most exciting discovery was the
abundance of double-struck nails which
are of a style employed for approximately
three decades starting in the 1790s. This
period marks the transition from fully
hand-wrought nails made by blacksmiths
to the introduction of completely factorymade nails, in the first half of the 19th
century. This match of materials and
craftsmanship to the main roof of the
house confirmed that the existing Temple
Portico roof structure was constructed
concurrently with the center block of the
main house circa 1814-1816. The
machine cut nails used for the second roof
suggested a date of mid-late 19th century.
TUDOR PLACE TIMES • SPRING 2012
Examination of late 19th-century photographs and the years of the Civil War date
the second roof to 1865-1873.
Struck by
the richness
of this and
other new
information
in the roof ’s
lower layers,
the project
was stopped
to enable
additional
investigation
and documentation.
Capitals on the north
Orlando
façade, front door
Ridout V,
renowned architectural historian and head
of the Maryland Historical Trust’s Office
of Research, Survey & Registration, confirmed that it was circa 1814 building fabric. Until this point, staff and researchers
had been unable to say for sure what
material covered the dome during the earliest period. Ridout’s inspection of the
tightly spaced nail pattern (black holes)
indicated that metal was the material of
choice in 1814.
A crew from Direct Dimensions, a
laser-scanning firm, documented the roof
with state-of-the-art laser cameras. The
data they gathered will be used for historic
documentation and future research. It
will help with identifying and sorting out
the nail hole pattern associated with the
circa 1814 roof. Most exciting of all, it
enables the creation of three-dimensional
virtual models to use in future interpretation on the evolution of the house.
Once the roof was scanned, repairs to
the wood sheathing began. Between the
original wood sheathing and the new
metal roof Wagner Roofing installed 1/4
inch-thick plywood to provide a solid surface for the new metal roof. The metal
crew installed new lead-coated copper
pans on the dome and lined the water
table and gutter. The height of each
course of metal matches the tin roof just
removed. This preserves the second roof ’s
visual character and the new metal will
fade to a weathered gray.
ELIZABETH PEEBLES,
DIRECTOR OF PRESERVATION
The Rambler Returns to Tudor Place
D
ue to the generosity of an anonymous donor, The Rambler, a
book originally owned by
Thomas Peter, was secured at auction. The
Rambler began as a
series of essays
that first
appeared on
two-penny
sheets Tuesdays
and Saturdays on the streets of London
from 1750-1752. Eventually these essays
were published in four volumes. This
printing proved so popular that the series
was reprinted nine times! The volume
purchased is No. IV of the seventh edition, published in
1767.1 It includes
essays Number 160 of
September 28, 1751
through Number 208
of March 14, 1752 and
an index.
The author, Samuel
Johnson (1709-1784),
wrote anonymously
and described himself
as a great procrastinator
or rambler, a trait he
acknowledged was
unattractive and at
odds with his profession as an author whose
mission he believed was
to improve mankind
and the world around
him. This eternal conflict within him was the
inspiration for these essays.
The format of the essay was popular at
the time and echoes the success of a previous series published by Joseph Addison
(1672-1719) and Richard Steele (16721729), the Tatler (1709-1711) and The
Spectator (1711-1781). Johnson’s essays,
however, are of a more serious note. He
wrote between 1750-1798, when the neoclassic style still reigned but was beginning
to be undermined by romanticism.
Johnson’s biography in 1791 by his
friend and travelling companion James
Boswell (1740-1795), Life of Samuel Johnson, secured him the title of “Dr. John-
2
son.” His most famous works include The
Rambler (1750-1752), Dictionary of the
English Language (1755), The Plays of
William Shakespeare (1765), A Journey to
the Western Islands of
Scotland (1775),
and Lives of the
Poets (17791781). In
between these
classics he wrote political tracts, essays,
reviews, poetry, a play, and a novella. Is it
any wonder that his lifespan is remembered as The Age of Johnson? And
despite his prodigious output Johnson
founded a social group that met weekly to
exchange ideas. “The
Club”, founded in 1763,
included such luminaries
as Edmund Burke, Sir
Joshua Reynolds, David
Garrick, Oliver Goldsmith, and eventually
Adam Smith and Edward
Gibbon.
This volume bears the
signature of Thomas
Peter inscribed on the
title page. How or why it
left the protection of the
Peter family has not been
and may never be determined. The book does
hold one clue, however,
as to its whereabouts over
the years. The inside
front cover sports a
bookplate bearing the
name William J. Terkenton. A casual
perusal of the Washington Telephone Directory Winter Issue 1930-1931 reveals that a
William J. Terkenton lived nearby in
Georgetown at 1513 33 Street N.W.2
WENDY KAIL, ARCHIVIST
1. [Samuel Johnson]. The Rambler. In Four Volumes.
Volume IV. London: A. Millar, W. Strahan, J. Rivington, J. Newbery, R. Baldwin, S. Crowder, and
Co.; T. Caslon, B. Law, M. Richardson, and B.
Collins, 1767.
2. Tudor Place Archive, Papers of Armistead Peter,
Jr., MS 14, Box 175. Washington Telephone Directory
Winter Issue 1930-1931. Washington, D.C.: The
Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company, 1930,
page 405.
TUDOR PLACE TIMES • SPRING 2012
From the Executive Director
Dear Member:
Save the Date:
May 9, 1902
Among the holdings in the Tudor Place
Archive are the diaries of Armistead Peter,
Jr. These volumes illuminate the everyday
life of the third owner and the history of
his home. They serve to illustrate that
despite the passage of time common
threads connect us all, and that as the
years go by oftentimes the smallest events
loom largest. This excerpt from Armistead
Peter, Jr.’s, diary highlights a happy
moment in the life of the Peter family. It
includes Armistead Peter, Jr., his wife
Anna Peter [Nannie], his grandmother
Britannia Peter Kennon, his brother
George Freeland, his sister Agnes Peter,
and his five year old son Armistead Peter
3rd [the boy]. Armistead Peter, Jr. did not
become the owner of Tudor Place until
1911; at the time of this entry, he, his
wife, and son lived on N Street, but were
invited to lunch on May 9 at Tudor Place:
Spent the day at Tudor. –Nannie and the
boy came over to lunch and I dont (sic)
know which was the most delighted –he
or Grandmother. G[eorge] F[reeland]
and Agnes were also there. Grandmother
sat at the head of the table, of course, and
placed him at the foot–the guest of
honor!– At his plate was a glass with
daily rose buds, which she picked herself
from the bushes planted by her Mother,
on either side of the temple. Later, Agnes
and I took him up to her room to see the
Potomac, and then we had a romp. A red
letter day for him for it was the first time
that he ever sat at the table.
Tudor Place Archive
Papers of Armistead Peter, Jr.
Diary entry May 9, 1902
WENDY KAIL, ARCHIVIST
The future of Tudor Place as a public museum has taken a big step
forward. In the last newsletter I wrote of the need for a new heating-and-cooling system and electrical upgrades in the main house.
These needs, along with the very poor storage conditions for the
collections, have been the driving forces behind the Master Preservation Plan. Many review bodies — the Advisory Neighborhood
Commission, Old Georgetown Board, Commission of Fine Arts,
Historic Preservation Office, and National Park Service — must
approve the plan. I am pleased to report that all have given a green light to move
to the development of the Concept Design. It is a huge project for this small
museum but one which must be undertaken if we are to survive. Please stay tuned
as our work progresses!
In April, a concert was held in the Saloon. Kenneth Slowik played period pieces
on the 1804 John Broadwood & Son square piano that was tuned for the occasion.
Jennifer Waters, a Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist graduate, sang period pieces to
the piano’s accompaniment. In addition, Archivist Wendy Kail displayed period
music from our collection. It was a glorious evening for all who attended. You’ll
read more about the piano in the article by Curator Erin Kuykendall.
Spring came early and with great brilliance to the Tudor Place gardens. The
newly restored Box Knot Garden is thriving and the roses are already blooming. I
hope you’ll stop by to see this wonderful restoration managed by Suzanne
Bouchard, Director of Gardens and Grounds.
Our 20th Spring Garden Party is almost here and there is much anticipation. It
will be a grand occasion, led by co-chairs Marcia Mayo and Lucy Rhame. Please
join us for the gala evening at which we will honor Mr. Austin Kiplinger!
Sincerely,
Executive Director
A TRIBUTE
TO
THOSE LOST
Witin the last six months, Tudor Place lost three friends and valued volunteers.
IRENE NAVARRO
With a quiet diligence, Irene researched, wrote about, and advocated for the museum’s
extraordinary jewelry collection since February 1993. A jewelry specialist, she spent
countless hours examining archival records for the provenance of each piece, studying
decorative arts sources to understand it within the field of antique jewelry.
CHERYL BRYCE
From November 1999 to 2008, Cheryl Brice dedicated herself as a knowledgeable
docent, leading tours several days per week. She had a strong interest in American history
and spent many weekends visiting historic sites and reading.
PATRICIA (KAY ) DAVIES
Kay was an enthusiastic and dedicated docent from September 2003 – 2008. Keenly
interested in American history and an experienced docent, Kay engrossed visitors on
tours of Tudor Place.
3
TUDOR PLACE TIMES • SPRING 2012
The
Peter’s
Pianoforte,
A rare John Broadwood
& Son 6-octave piano brought to life
I
Figure 2
Figure 1
oval cartouche in the center of the satinwood nameboard—guaranteed the highest standards in sound quality, design, and
fashion. Since 1794, John Broadwood &
Son had labeled their instruments in this
way, thus proudly proclaiming their royal
patronage for all who sat before their ivory
and ebony keys (Fig. 2). Other internal
signatures, including the initials “JB”
written in pencil on key 61, the instruments serial number “8348” inked on the
treble end of the action’s rail, and the
punched letter “H” on the treble action
(Fig. 3, 4, 5) are testaments to the numerous craftsmen, who contributed to the
assembly of the instruments produced by
Broadwood.
John Broadwood (1732–1812) began
to work with the Swiss émigré harpsichord
maker Burkat Shudi in 1761. After marrying Shudi’s youngest daughter, Broadwood opened his own shop on Great
Pulteney Street in 1771, and inherited
Shudi’s business once the latter retired
from active work. According to the historian Martha Novak Clinkscale,
Broadwood’s earliest known
square piano dates from 1774.3
Broadwood’s eldest son, James
Shudi Broadwood, joined the
firm in 1794, and the company
changed its name to John Broadwood & Son. With the business
acumen of James and the technical expertise of his father, the
company experienced tremendous growth at the turn of the
century, experimenting with new
models and new arrangements.4
When the piano arrived in
n 1804, a clerk from the well-established musical instrument makers
John Broadwood & Son added
another customer’s particulars into
his heavy, leather-bound folio. It
was the clerk’s responsibility to track
all orders and deliveries leaving the
piano manufactory’s London warehouse and showroom located on 33
Great Pulteney Street.1 By the turn of the
century, the company was one of the most
prolific in London, producing about 400
square pianos and 100 grand pianos annually for clients in England and around the
world.2 This unique square piano, serial
number 8348, was eventually destined to
reach an American client, Major George
Peter (1779–1861), who resided in
Georgetown, then within the newly established capital city of Washington D.C.
(Fig. 1).
With the lid locked and the oak keybed
and single-throw action safely secured for
shipment across the Atlantic, the square
piano appeared similar to other instruments leaving the factory; darkwood
stringing accentuated satinwood panels
that stretched horizontally across the 50.2
in. x 26 in. (127.4 cm x 66.1 cm) case.
Imported mahogany, rosewood, and satinwood veneered the surface of the
mahogany frame, which rested delicately
on four tapered satinwood legs supported
by iron casters.
The company’s name—positioned
prominently within an inked and inlayed
4
America and the proud new owner lifted
the hinged mahogany lid, a symmetrical
composition of crisp ivory natural and
ebony accidental or sharp keys stretched
out in seamless perfection along the keyboard, beginning with the first note DD
and finishing 73 notes later with d4. This
arrangement distinguishes the piano from
all other surviving Broadwood square
pianos made in the early 19th-century; it
is the only known example of its kind ever
made. Most pianos—both square and
grand—made by the factory in the early
19th-century featured the standard 5½octave range, and thus were slightly
shorter in their length. Furthermore, the
key arrangement was also one-of-a-kind;
the first note, DD, replaced FF, and in the
treble section, the last note was d4.
According to Michael Cole, author of
Broadwood Square Pianos and The
Pianoforte in the Classical Era, this piano
is completely unique, a “bespoke piano
with a keyboard compass without precedent.”5
To accommodate the unusual request
of the client, John Broadwood & Son
craftsmen intentionally altered the
Figure 3
Figure 4
TUDOR PLACE TIMES • SPRING 2012
Figure 5
arrangement of two essential mechanical
elements—the curving wood bridge and
the metal strings. It was impossible for
Broadwood to laterally shift these elements to a new location on the spruce
soundboard. Instead, the lengths of the
strings, the arrangement and location of
their hitch pins and tuning pins, the shape
and position of the bridge, the shape of
the keybed, and numerous other internal
parts were all intentionally modified to
accommodate the additional half-octave.
What prompted a client to specifically
request this instrument? In the 18th and
early 19th-centuries composers intentionally wrote music for 5½-octave arrangements; thus, the compass did not provide
the pianist with an acoustical advantage
over other performers. Family tradition
maintains that Major George Peter purchased the piano for the educational and
social advantage of his family, however the
pristine condition of the keys and nameboard suggest the piano was played very
infrequently.6
It is possible Major George Peter’s first
wife played the Broadwood & Son piano
at their elegant townhouse in Georgetown
since the couple married in 1809. That
same year, Major George Peter purchased
land in Montgomery County on which he
built an impressive summer estate called
Montanverde, completed ca. 1816. Montanverde served as Major George Peter’s
residence until his death in 1861, and his
grandson Armistead Peter, Jr., remembered the piano originally at Montanverde.7 Peter’s second marriage to Agnes
Buchanan Freeland on July 27, 1815, bore
the couple two daughters, Ann (1818–26)
and Agnes (1822–26). Both of these
young girls died before reaching the age of
10, and thus had little time to enjoy the
piano. Major George Peter remarried for a
third time in June 1825 to Sarah Norwood Freeland; three of his daughters—
Sarah Agnes Peter (1827–65), Margaret
Dick Peter (1835–84), and Elizabeth Peter
(1838–1914)—lived into adulthood. By
the time these young women reached their
teens, the instrument was already nearly
half a century old. Stylistically, the thin
tapered lines and contrasting inlays of the
case had fallen out of fashion, especially
compared to other square and grand
pianos by Broadwood & Sons in the
1840s and 50s.
By the early 20th century, the piano
had fallen silent, and the once-expensive
and fashionable instrument now resided
in an outbuilding on the former rural
estate of Dr. Armistead Peter (1840–
1902), one of Major George Peter’s sons,
in Bethesda, Maryland. A leading physician in Georgetown during the mid-19th
century, Dr. Peter built a brick mansion,
known as Winona, in 1873 although he
and his children continued to live at
Tudor Place until 1881. After his death in
1902, the Maryland farm and the contents of his Georgetown residence were
divided amongst his five children at which
time Dr. Peter’s third son, Beverly Kennon
Peter (1872–1922), inherited the piano.8
Beverly Kennon’s tragic death transferred
ownership of the piano to his older
brother, Armistead Peter, Jr. (1870–1960)
and on April 25, 1925 a trunk carried the
damaged piano from Winona to Tudor
Place. In his diary that day, Armistead
Peter, Jr. bemoaned the condition of the
instrument, noting the piano was “badly
damaged” and pledged to “put them in
order again someday.” 9 His son and
daughter-in-law, Armistead Peter 3rd and
Caroline Ogden-Jones, fulfilled this
promise five years later.
The Peters hired a favorite local cabinetmaker, Maximilian F. Rosinski (1869–
1962), to repair the damaged case. As a
teenager, Rosinski emigrated from Danzig
in 1882 and later established a successful
furniture making and retail business on
1216 K Street.10 In his privately published
monograph Tudor Place, Armistead Peter
3rd described Rosinski’s repairs to the
piano, noting “the reason you see the
diagonal inlay underneath the top [i.e.
lock board], because the top had warped
to such an extent that [Rosinski] had to
5
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
PRESIDENTS EMERITI:
Mr. S. Allen Chambers, Jr.
Mrs. Ellen MacNeille Charles
Mr. John D. Firestone
Mr. Austin H. Kiplinger
Mr. Phillips S. Peter
PRESIDENT:
Mr. Timothy B. Matz
VICE PRESIDENT:
Mr. Geoffrey B. Baker
TREASURER:
Mr. J. Bruce Whelihan
SECRETARY:
Ms. Marcia V. Mayo
TRUSTEES:
Mr. Thomas E. Crocker
Mr. Daniel V. Dowd
Mr. David E. Dunn
Ms. Pamela Jenkinson
Mrs. Beverly Jost
Mrs. Ginger Laytham
Ms. Bobbie Greene McCarthy
Ms. Betty C. Monkman
Mrs. Elizabeth Powell
Mrs. Lucy S. Rhame
Mr. C. Jackson Ritchie
Mrs. Lynn Springer Roberts
Mrs. Jean Hall Rutherfoord
Mrs. Margaret Jones Steuart
Mr. D. Anderson Williams
HONORARY TRUSTEES:
Mr. Max N. Berry, Esq.
Ms. Janis Buchanan
Mrs. Jane Lipton Cafritz
Mrs. Elizabeth E. Cantacuzene
Mrs. Robert H. Charles
Mrs. Diana Clagett
Mrs. Elizabeth W. Edgeworth
Mrs. Elinor K. Farquhar
Mrs. Donna Gerstenfeld
The Hon. C. Boyden Gray
Mr. John Osborne Hedden
Mrs. Barbara Langhorne
Mrs. Frederick H. Prince
Mr. Roger Sant
Mr. Charles H. Seilheimer, Jr
Mr. Albert H. Small
Mr. W. Reid Thompson
Mr. William T. Torgerson
TUDOR PLACE TIMES • SPRING 2012
Figure 6
gradually bring it back to a flat condition
and then put those diagonals in to hold
it.” 11 Other repairs to the case included
the installation of a new base, refinishing
the soundboard, replaced missing veneers,
and reattaching the soundboard rails with
modern hardware.
Significant alterations and repairs were
also made to the musical components.12
The repairman added a stifle board below
the soundboard, a common technique
employed by technicians throughout the
twentieth century to regulate an instrument’s sound. Wide 20th-century tuning
pins with machine-drilled holes secure
two different types of strings: the notes
DD to D are strung with bronze closewrapped around steel, while D# to d4 are
steel (Fig. 6). According to Mark Adler,
these 20th-century strings, particularly
their terminals at the hitch pins, are representative of Germanic traditions. Overall,
the repairs to the instrument are consistent with other early 20th-century modifications made to antique instruments.
On August 17, 1929, Rosinski received
a $1,024 check, the majority of which
accounted for his restoration of the
piano.13 It is possible Rosinski contracted
the mechanical repairs described above to
a craftsman or company who specialized
in piano repairs such as E. F. Droop &
Company, a warehouse and retail establishment on G Street, NW.14 As a result of
the cabinetmaker’s careful attention,
nearly all of the original elements of the
piano survived, and the piano was once
again able to be enjoyed by the Peter family and the guests.
This square piano is truly unique for its
unusual 6-octave DD to d4 compass
among all other documented pianos made
in the early 19th century. It is a rare historic artifact in excellent condition with
many original features including the oneof-a-kind action, the bridge and soundboard, each individually numbered
goatskin hinge and corresponding
mahogany hammer. All the brass underdampers—an arrangement Broadwood
abandoned after 1806—every key lever,
and most of the original exterior woodwork and hardware on the case survive.
These details capture the ingenuity of
London’s largest and most successful
instruments maker John Broadwood and
Sons. The piano’s transatlantic journey,
from Broadwood’s elegant showroom on
Great Pulteney Street via a ship to the
port of Georgetown, Maryland thousands
of miles across the ocean, speaks to the
economic networks that connected England to America after the Revolution. For
example, newspaper advertisements from
the early 1800s reveal the popularity and
prestige Georgetown consumers bestowed
on English-made pianos. Musical performances in intimate familial spaces gave
ambitious young ladies, like the Peter
family women, a strong, clear voice in the
emerging political culture of the Federal
City.
ERIN KUYKENDALL,
CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS
1. Archival records from the company survive at the
Surrey Historical Center, in Woking, England. Documentation pertaining to pianos made prior to 1817
is difficult to ascertain, however both the porters
books mentioned above (dating 1798 – 1958) and a
series of customers’ ledgers (dating 1794–1972) contain information about the company’s merchandies.
Miss Ann Valentine, a piano dealer, purchased this
square piano, serial number 8348, on behalf of a Mr.
Orton, surgeon, of Welford, Northamptonshire on
Monday, November 19, 1804. Courtesy Surrey History Centre, Woking, England, ref. 2185/JB/42/3a.
How the piano traveled from Mr. Orton to Georgetown remains a mystery.
2. Laurence Lisbin, “Keyboard Instruments” Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin (Summer 1989), 40.
See also Michael Cole, Broadwood Square Pianos
(2005), 69. According to Cole, in 1796, Broadwood
& Son sold 160 grand pianos total, a “prodigious
increase compared to the two dozen harpsichords per
annum ten years earlier.” (69)
3. Martha Novak Clinkscale, Makers of the Piano
6
1700 – 1820 (Oxford, 1993), 30. Clinkscale notes
“the first six octave grand (CC-c4) was no. 607,
which appeared in 1794.”
4 Michael Cole, “Broadwood & Son, 1794–1810”
in Broadwood Square Pianos (Cheltenham, England:
Tatchely Books, 2005), p. 69.
5. Email to Mark Adler from Michael Cole, March
3, 2012. Several other English and American square
piano authorities confirmed this rarity, including
David Hackett, John Watson, Conservator and
Curator of Instruments at Colonial Williamsburg,
and Kenneth Slowik, Artistic Director and Curator
of Musical Instruments, Smithsonian Chamber
Music Society, at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
6. Armistead Peter 3rd, Tudor Place (Washington,
D.C.: Privately published, 1969), 34. According to
Mark Adler, the instrument has probably been
played approximately 50 hours since its creation.
The ivory keys show no signs of the expected wear
patterns (i.e. dishing from a repetitive touch).
7. Armistead Peter, Jr. Diary. April 25, 1925. Ms.
14, Box 73, F. 11. According to the entry, “The little
spinet [i.e. square piano] came from “Montaverd”
[sic] and was here when I was a child. In 1880, it
was taken to the farm and eventually fell to Kennon
in the division. It is dated 1804. I am glad that it is
at Tudor once again.”
8. Estate Inventory and Division of Dr. Armistead
Peter, Jr.’s residence at 3044 O Street, ca. 1902, p. 1.
Courtesy, Tudor Place Historic House & Garden
Archives, Ms. 14, Box 69, F. 24. Typed list entitled
“Furniture from 3044” notes Group 1, Lot 4 “Piano
from Robt. Dicks” as assigned to Beverly Kennon.
9. Armistead Peter, Jr. Diary. April 25, 1925. Ms.
14, Box 73, F. 11.
10. See Oral History recorded with Melinda Linder,
Curator, Wendy Kail, Archivist, and two Rosinski
grandchildren, Tudor Place Historic House & Garden Archives. See also obituary “Max F. Rosinski, 93,
D.C. Cabinetmaker” Star April 15, 1962, and “Local
Man to Vote for First Time In Coming Election at
Age of 88,” The Brooklyn News, September 12,
1956.
11. Armistead Peter 3rd, Tudor Place (Washington,
D.C.: Privately published, 1969), 34.
12. Armistead Peter 3rd included the following musing in Tudor Place, “The interior, of course, was also
in very bad condition, and I sent that over to, I
think, the Knabe factory in Baltimore, for reconditioning and restringing.” Armistead Peter 3rd, Tudor
Place, 34. No documentation has been found to support the attribution of restoration or repairs to the
William Knabe & Co. factory. Furthermore, by
1911 Ernest J. Knabe, Jr. and his brother William
Knabe were manufacturing upright and grand pianos
from a new Ohio manufactory, and soon declared
bankruptcy in 1916. The company’s older Baltimore
factory closed in 1930.
13. Check No. 2537 from Armistead Peter 3rd to M.
F. Rosinski for the amount of $1,024.00. Dated
August 17, 1929. Cashed August 29, 1929 by Riggs
National Bank, Washington, D.C. Courtesy, Tudor
Place Historic House & Garden Archives, American
Securities & Trust, Box 2.
14. There are several invoices, dated ca. 1925 to
1932, from E. F. Droop written to Armistead Peter
3rd or his wife Caroline for tuning sessions, and this
large company would have been able to execute the
repairs to the piano in 1929. For example, on
December 29, 1928 Droop charged Armistead Peter
3rd $3.50 for work to tune the piano three days prior.
Courtesy, Tudor Place Historic House & Garden
Archive, Ms. 21, Bills and Receipts 1928 – 29,
Folder Miscellaneous 1928.
TUDOR PLACE TIMES • SPRING 2012
Education Programs
Advanced reservations and payment required for all programs. Register at www.tudorplace.org.
A Fast Flowing Stream: Rock Creek
and its Mills in the late 18th and
early 19th Centuries
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 7:00 P.M.
Walking Tour of the Mills of Rock
Creek
SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 9:30 A.M.
Journalist and author Steve Dryden reveals a
Rock Creek that is far different from the Park
we see today. From its productive mills to its
botanical specimens, the fertile land and
pleasurable vistas were much a part of the life
of early Georgetown and Washington.
Politics (2001) and numerous other book and
articles. His talk will explore the sources and
significance of Tudor Place’s “Temple Portico” in the context of Federal period architecture. Reception follows lecture
LANDMARK SOCIETY MEMBER: $10
TUDOR PLACE MEMBER: $15
NONMEMBER: $20
Fairy Tea and Treats
SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1:30 P.M.-3:30 P.M.
FOR LECTURE AND WALKING TOUR:
LANDMARK SOCIETY MEMBER: FREE
TUDOR PLACE MEMBER: $5 PER EVENT
NONMEMBER: $10 PER EVENT
Bring your favorite Tinkerbell, as children
dress up in magical fairy costumes complete
with tutus, wands, and wings. Dressed for
tea, costumed interpreters explain the
favored drink of early America. After the tea,
children tour Tudor Place’s enchanting fairy
gardens and make a special period craft to
take home.
Tudor Place and the Civil War Home
Front House and Walking Tours
MEMBER CHILDREN: $20
NONMEMBER CHILDREN: $25
ADULTS: $10
SECOND SATURDAYS, MAY – NOVEMBER
HOUSE TOUR: 10:30 A.M.-11:30 A.M.
WALKING TOUR: 1:00 P.M.-2:00 P.M.
LOCATION: BOTH TOURS MEET AT THE
VISITOR CENTER
With the outbreak of war in 1861, Tudor
Place fell on uncertain times. Learn in a special house tour about how owner Britannia
Kennon moved into the old stable loft with
her daughter and took in Union boarders to
save the family home. After breaking for
lunch, your guide will take you into historic
Georgetown to see in person relics of the
war’s turmoil, including a Union hospital,
the gravesite of Confederate spies, and a
onetime community of African American
freedmen and former slaves.
Developed to commemorate the 150th
anniversary of the Civil War.
MEMBERS: $8; NONMEMBERS: $10
(HOUSE OR WALKING TOUR ONLY )
MEMBERS: $12; NONMEMBERS: $15
(HOUSE AND WALKING TOUR)
The Tudor Place Temple Portico: A
Re-evaluation
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 7:00 P.M.
William C. Allen is currently the Architect of
the Capitol’s Historian Emeritus. For nearly
three decades he was the agency’s architectural historian and preservation officer. Allen
is also the author of History of the U.S. Capitol: A Chronicle of Design, Construction and
A Golden Father’s Day
SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 10:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.
Celebrate Father’s Day at Tudor Place, a
home associated with our country’s “founding father.” Enjoy an interactive tour
through the historic mansion to uncover
treasures from the first President and learn
about the history of gilding – the application
of gold leaf to mirrors, picture frames, and
other decorative objects. After the tour, work
together to make a special gift to take home a gold leaf frame! Bring your own cameras to
take pictures with Dad in the gardens.
Celebrate Independence Day —
A Family Tea
SUNDAY, JULY 1, 1:00P.M.-3:00 P.M.
Where better to celebrate the nation’s birthday than at the home of early patriots?
Enjoy hands-on activities, a delicious tea
with sweets, and an interactive tour. Children dress up in period costumes, make a
special patriotic craft, and take tea from
“Martha Washington” herself. After the tea,
families tour the historic mansion to learn
about our first President.
MEMBER CHILDREN: $20
NONMEMBER CHILDREN: $25
ADULTS: $10
Celebrate Independence Day —
A Family Ice Cream Social
TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1:00 P.M.-3:00 P.M.
Enjoy a special tour of the mansion highlighting the collection’s many George and
Martha Washington artifacts. Follow the
tour with one of George Washington’s
favorite treats, ice cream! Create ice cream
sundaes in the garden and enjoy children’s
games and crafts. All participants will receive
copies of George Washington’s touching
1775 letter to his wife from the Tudor Place
collection, one of only three such letters
known to exist.
MEMBER CHILDREN: $5
NONMEMBER CHILDREN: $10
ADULTS: $5
FREE FOR MILITARY FAMILIES
MEMBER CHILDREN: $7
NONMEMBER CHILDREN: $10
ADULTS: $3
GEORGETOWN SUMMER HISTORY WEEKS AT TUDOR PLACE AND DUMBARTON HOUSE
June (dates TBA) 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (half day camp) Ages 4-10 Dumbarton House
August (dates TBA) 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (half day camp) Ages 4-10 Tudor Place
Children learn by feeling, tasting, touching and seeing history every day at Georgetown’s
Summer History Weeks. A variety of indoor and outdoor activities carefully selected by our
education staff bring to life 175 years of American history and teach about the natural environment. Participants will cook and sample snacks and drinks of times past, try on period
clothing, explore the historic garden, plant their own gardens, play historic games, paint
watercolor landscapes, go on an archaeological expedition, and more. The weekends with an
early American “parlor party” they will host for parents and friends!
FEE: HALF DAY $175 MEMBERS, $190 NONMEMBERS; FULL DAY $300 MEMBERS, $325 NONMEMBERS; $10 DISCOUNT IF REGISTERING FOR 2 WEEKS; $10 DISCOUNT IF REGISTERING MORE
THAN 1 CHILD; $10 IF REGISTERING BEFORE MARCH 1, 2012
SNACK PROVIDED. BEFORE AND AFTER CARE AVAILABLE.
7
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
SPRING 2012
SUBURBAN, MD
PERMIT #1
Tudor Place Foundation, Inc.
1644 31st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
202.965.0400
www.tudorplace.org
JOIN TUDOR PLACE and Support Our National Heritage!
When you join Tudor Place as a member, you help preserve this National Historic Landmark on 5.5 acres in the heart of Georgetown.
Won’t you become a member today?
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP ($45) includes a subscription to Tudor Place Times, a 10% discount in the Museum Shop, discounts on educational programs, invitations to exhibition openings, complimentary admission to Tudor Nights, and one annual pass to the house and
garden.
DUAL/FAMILY MEMBERSHIP ($80) includes all of the above plus two annual passes to the house and garden and four complimentary
admissions to the Spooktacular or the Holiday Open House.
Name________________________________________________________________________________________________
Street Address _________________________________________________________________________________________
City _______________________________________________________________ State _________ Zip Code____________
Individual membership ($45)
_________
Dual/family membership ($80)
_________
Boxwood Circle ($100)
_________
Rose Circle ($250)
_________
For information on the Landmark Society,
please visit the website www.tudorplace.org
TOTAL:
_________
c Enclosed is my check.
c Please charge my credit card: c Visa c MasterCard Card
No.________________________________Exp. Date _______
Mail to: Tudor Place Historic House and Garden
1644 31st Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20007
Attn: Membership